€41 million allocated for arterial roads

The governemnt will invest €41 million on arterial roads next year, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech told Parliament today.

The focus, he said, would be on the construction of the roads between Ċirkewwa and Torri l‐Aħmar, between Marsa and Luqa, the access from the Menqa in Marsa to the passenger terminal in the Grand Harbour and the road between Xewkija and Victoria in Gozo.

He said the government had started the process for the construction of roads in Kappara, the coast road between Pembroke and Qawra and the road between Mellieħa and Torri l‐Aħmar.

€15 million would be spent on roads in residential areas as well as major roads. 65 new roads would be built until the end of this year. Then, during the first half of next year more than 80 new roads would be completed.

"This means that, from the list of roads published here in Parliament, around 100 roads would still need to be built, a number of which are scheduled to be reads by the end of the year."

€5 million were being allocated to Local Councils for use on road works.

The minister said that Infrastructural works currently being carried out would be continued. These included the City Gate project and the restoration of the bastions in which €36 million were being invested.

Other works were the embellishment of Dock 1 and the surrounding historical buildings, the restoration of Fort St Elmo and the fish market.

Funds would be allocated for the restoration of the facades of Castille and the Grand Master’s Palace and the launch of the Collacchio project in Vittoriosa.

The government would also be investing in a water park in Bugibba and would continue the works on the National Park at Xrobb l-Ghagin.